10 Things Bernie Sanders (And Paul Krugman) Should Know About Denmark

6. There are many parts of the Danish economy where the government has limited involvement, particularly telecommunications

Denmark recently pushed South Korea out of the top spot to be named world’s most digital nation by the ITU. The country is celebrated for its success to deliver quality telecommunications at competitive prices, but this policy is largely the result of market forces, not government intervention. In sharp contrast to the utility-style policies in other European countries, Danes enjoy high telecom investment per capita, approaching the pre-Title II investment level in the US (The level of US telecommunications investment, a quarter of the world’s total for the last decade, is now on the decline as a result of the FCC’s imposition of 1930s era rules on broadband Internet.).

Denmark is one country that recognizes that once liberalization of the telecom market is achieved, it is time to reduce, if not retire, institutions created for achieve the liberalization. As such Denmark’s center left government dismantled the telecom regulator in 2011, noting that little value is added to society by bureaucrats micromanaging telecom networks. Professionals with telecom expertise are better suited develop killer apps in the private and public sector.

There are almost no subsidies for telecommunication in Denmark. Danes understand that limited public funds should be prioritized today for the old, sick, youth, and poor, not squandered on risky bets for the future. The municipal broadband initiatives touted in the US would be frowned upon by many in Denmark. For a government to set up a firm in a market with private companies is not “competition” and is rightly considered illegal in Denmark. Additionally other areas of infrastructure are targeted for liberalization, as it recognized to improve cost efficiency and consumer value

7. High quality social services delivered by the government require that people have trust in the government

Having the ability to verify the value they get for their money, Danes in general enjoy a higher sense of trust in the government than Americans and can thus accept that certain services are delivered by the government. Americans pay middle to high tax rates but in many instances, don’t get value for money and generally don’t trust the government. Therefore it is understandable that Americans do not want to pay any more in taxes. If the status quo isn’t working, it doesn’t help to give the broken system any more money.

8. Denmark has a state church

Americans cherish the separation of church and state for good reason. While Danes have religious freedom, 78 percent are members of the Church of Denmark, and this institution is responsible for registering all people in the country at birth, regardless of religion. The exception is the province of Southern Jutland, where the municipality maintains the register. There is an image of a Crucifix on page 2 of the Danish passport. By default, all people pay taxes to the Church. They can opt out, but then they face limited options for burial. Such religious, historical, cultural factors play a role in shaping society, and social policies cannot be understood, let alone replicated, without proper attention to this context.

9. Cooperation between political parties is the hallmark of Danish politics

Even with just 5.5 million people, there are dozens of political parties in Denmark. They form coalitions with each national election and succeed to implement change and reform, like the recent primary school overhaul accomplished in just one year. This contrasts the unprecedented level of rancor between political parties in the US, inflamed in part by partisanship as exemplified in Mr. Krugman’s column. While some may enjoy battles pitting “liberals” and “conservatives”, it doesn’t necessarily make good policy.

10. The grass isn’t greener somewhere else

For all the Americans who say the US should be like Denmark there are Danes who wish that Denmark was more like the USA. They cite America’s high level of entrepreneurship, risk taking, venture capital, social mobility, freedom to fail, among other dynamics.

Voters should be more critical of Presidential candidates, recognizing that implementing a single policy taken out of context does not necessarily improve the situation if the existing rules and regulations that create the problem are still in place.

So rather than making empty grass is greener promises and espousing policies of countries about which they are clearly uniformed, presidential candidates should focus on building trust and creating transparency. If political leaders had voters' trust, they would have a better chance to succeed.